The Washington Commanders surprised many people last year when they made it to the NFC Championship to face the Philadelphia Eagles. They were one of the hottest teams in the league toward the end of the season, and that carried into the postseason, where they got some impressive wins, including the top-seeded Detroit Lions.

A lot of people are high on what the Commanders can do this season, and there's the belief that they are close to contending for a championship, according to the NFL on ESPN crew.

“[Jayden Daniels] makes that next jump, we're not just talking about a team that can make the playoffs; you're talking about a team that can have one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League, and when you have one of those guys, that gives you the opportunity to win a championship,” Booger McFarland said.

“We're talking about Washington being a model NFL franchise. … This is the type of universe we're now living in,” Adam Schefter said.

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With the team that the Commanders have in place, if they can build on what they did last season, there's a good chance they can find themselves in the same position they were in.

Commanders poised to make the next step

The Commanders are a young group that showed they can be contenders for years to come. Daniels was able to smell success in his rookie season, and that should make him want to continue to get better. Heading into his second season, he already knows what he needs to do to elevate.

“I’m sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible,” Daniels said via Yahoo Sports. “Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed.”

On offense, the Commanders added some key pieces, one being Deebo Samuel Sr., who could play anywhere on the field. He'll be a solid complement to Terry McLaurin, as he's known for taking the top off defenses. On defense, the Commanders were a solid unit last season, and with another year under their belt, they can improve.